The musical selections here are excellent, and Charters' readings of selections from Kerouac and Holmes are fun.

Sam Charters mixes great jazz insights with selected readings of Kerouac & John Clennon Holmes (creating a literary CUTTING contest between their respective Bop prose descriptions of Bop club sessions) with rare recordings of bop jam sessions (one featuring Diz) & Jack himself reading his tribute to Bird.
He marks the start of Bop with Kenny Clarke's use of the ride cymbal for the Beat. And tells why he thinks Bop was as revolutionary as anything since the start of New Orleans jazz and how at the time Jack was one of the few that 'Got It' & made use of it in his writing.
Sam pulls together many diverse elements & frames them in a historical context that comes alive.

This talk has lots of great recordings of performances from the early days of bop as well as readings from Jack about Jazz. Sam Charters is eloquent and offers good insights which help you hear the recordings better. Ends with talks on Monk, Dizzy and Bird. Sam presents an interesting history of Jazz and goes into the cultural and economic forces that shaped bop.

A very inspiring and teary look at the cradle of the whole shebang. RIP ti jean...

Can't be beat!! Beats and bebop